Former England powerhouse Courtney Lawes couldn't stomach a recent viral video featuring current England players performing a TikTok dance. Despite his visceral reaction, the video underscored a broader acceptance of off-field antics by England’s coach, Steve Borthwick, provided players perform on the field. Lawes, who hung up his international boots in 2023, shared these thoughts amidst discussing England's flawless run during the Autumn Nations Series and their prospects looking forward.
England dazzled at Twickenham, sweeping through their November fixtures with victories over Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Argentina. This winning spree solidifies their status as favorites for the upcoming Six Nations, despite a challenging final against reigning champs France in Paris. Lawes, now playing for Brive in France’s Pro D2, remains a crucial voice in rugby. Reflecting on England's recent success, he addressed the misconception surrounding Borthwick's management style.
"Everyone has now seen the TikTok dance video that Tommy Freeman, Henry Pollock, Fin Smith, and Freddie Steward filmed. I nearly vomited when I saw that. You won’t catch me doing a TikTok dance any time soon. But it’s not my generation. I don’t want thousands of followers on social media,"
Lawes articulated, "There is a misperception about Borthwick that he would disapprove of that kind of thing and look to stamp out those kinds of characters. Rugby always comes down to one thing – if you perform consistently on the pitch, nobody cares."
He further emphasized the importance of aligning personal expression with professional performance. "The boys should act however is natural to them. But that is secondary to them being on the same page because it doesn’t matter how many characters and how much energy you have in the team, it will disperse if you don’t have a solid game plan."
Lawes reminisced about his TV analysis last year, debating England's crisis after narrow defeats. However, he proudly acknowledged the team's turnaround, praising their enhanced game plans and strategic depth which have positioned them as one of the world's premier rugby squads. "They have solved the final quarter yips by being able to bring on five or six Lions, including Tom Curry and Ellis Genge. England are now looking like one of the best teams on the planet and we head into the Six Nations with a shot at the title and maybe even a Grand Slam. Crisis averted, then."
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Former England powerhouse Courtney Lawes couldn't stomach a recent viral video featuring current England players performing a TikTok dance. Despite his visceral reaction, the video underscored a broader acceptance of off-field antics by England’s coach, Steve Borthwick, provided players perform on the field. Lawes, who hung up his international boots in 2023, shared these thoughts amidst discussing England's flawless run during the Autumn Nations Series and their prospects looking forward.
England dazzled at Twickenham, sweeping through their November fixtures with victories over Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and Argentina. This winning spree solidifies their status as favorites for the upcoming Six Nations, despite a challenging final against reigning champs France in Paris. Lawes, now playing for Brive in France’s Pro D2, remains a crucial voice in rugby. Reflecting on England's recent success, he addressed the misconception surrounding Borthwick's management style.
"Everyone has now seen the TikTok dance video that Tommy Freeman, Henry Pollock, Fin Smith, and Freddie Steward filmed. I nearly vomited when I saw that. You won’t catch me doing a TikTok dance any time soon. But it’s not my generation. I don’t want thousands of followers on social media,"
Lawes articulated, "There is a misperception about Borthwick that he would disapprove of that kind of thing and look to stamp out those kinds of characters. Rugby always comes down to one thing – if you perform consistently on the pitch, nobody cares."
He further emphasized the importance of aligning personal expression with professional performance. "The boys should act however is natural to them. But that is secondary to them being on the same page because it doesn’t matter how many characters and how much energy you have in the team, it will disperse if you don’t have a solid game plan."
Lawes reminisced about his TV analysis last year, debating England's crisis after narrow defeats. However, he proudly acknowledged the team's turnaround, praising their enhanced game plans and strategic depth which have positioned them as one of the world's premier rugby squads. "They have solved the final quarter yips by being able to bring on five or six Lions, including Tom Curry and Ellis Genge. England are now looking like one of the best teams on the planet and we head into the Six Nations with a shot at the title and maybe even a Grand Slam. Crisis averted, then."